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Published: December 21st 2009
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We left Buenos Aires (well more like I had to physically remove Deb) and we flew down to El Calafate in Patagonia, we decided we would fly down (we got a great view of the Fitzroy Range) as we only have less than a month left and to do this journey by bus would take too much time out of what we have left. On arriving to El Calafate we were surprised to find a real alpine feel, the air is very, very fresh and reminds us of being in the South Island of NZ. Our hostel has a nice view looking out to Lago Argentina and snow capped mountains in the distance on the horizon ahead. We are also getting the long long evenings with the sun not going down till after 10pm, the place is very touristy and very expensive but after a quick wander around town after the morning flight we decided on a supermarket chicken schnitzel and mash for dinner and looked forward to our trip the following day to the Perito Moreno Glacier in Parque Nacional Los Glaciares. The park istelf has many, many glaciers and we were going to see one of the largest and
most accessible. The view coming to the glacier and the glacier itself was something amazing, the glacier is simply stunning and a scene that leaves you awestruck at nature. It is beautiful. It had a north and south face which both measured about 50 - 60 metres in height and we were told only 15% of it is above the waters surface (you can do the math if you want).
We wandered the balconies that front the glacier where the two faces meet and the glacier meets land at Peninsula Magallanes. You could also see the huge size of the glacier as it reaches to the mountains behind, it is 30km long and 3km wide. We could hear and see the ice from the face cracking and creaking with pieces occasionally falling, they looked so small but yet made so much sound.
The second part of the trip took us out on a boat to the south face, getting a little closer to the face of the glacier the size of the face became more apparent and it was hard to take your eyes off it. We arrived at a small landing on the other side of the lake as
we prepared for a small bit of trekking on the glacier. We attached our crampons and hit the ice, it was a nice trek around. Much different to the Franz Joseph in NZ. The ice formations were different, which maybe not as spectacular, did make for a more comfortable trek as the ice was quite stable and easy to walk on. Up on the glacier you could look out and appreciate its size, see some little ice valleys, ponds and crevasses and to top it all off we had some whiskey, Famous Grouse on Perito Moreno ice. Not bad I have to say. Although I reccommended they buy some Powers whiskey.
The tour guides were very good and explained a lot about the glacier, its formation and movement, which I have to say was very surprising, and makes you realise how amazing the world is and how slight differences in climate, location and environment can mean a totally different landscape. On the way back we witnessed a massive chunk of ice fall off the face of the glacier, creating a big wave and crashing sound. Truly spectacular. We arrived back at the hostel exhausted after the long day, but very
grateful to have seen and experienced one of the greatest natural wonders we have seen.
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